Earrings, Tattoos and Such

The issue of wearing earrings for men or having multiple piercing in many different areas of a person’s body as well as allowing ones body to be marked up with artistry and words has become important issues of our day. My approach to addressing these issues will perhaps take a slightly different turn from most responses to these concerns. There are three main points I want cover: One, body ownership; two, examples of the elders and three, who gets the attention. From these points of clarification, the seeker should be able to formulate their own thoughts about what is best for them as it relates to the adornment of their body.

First, I believe that the fundamental question one must ask him or herself is: Whose body is my body or whose does my body really belong to or who owns it, me or someone else? However one answers this question will determine how they will choose to adorn their body. Scripture declares that a believer’s body is the temple of God by virtue of the fact that He purchased it with the blood of Jesus which gives Him complete ownership of it and the only appropriate response from the follower of Christ is for them to glorify God in their body and in their spirit which are the Lord’s (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). Obviously, this is written to believers, because unbelievers don’t care and naturally embrace narcissism and can careless what God or anybody thinks or feels concerning what is theirs. So believer, if God is the true owner of your body, how can there be liberty and freedom of desires to adorn His body in ways that draw attention to the individual and away from God. Wearing earrings for men or wearing many earrings in ones ear or in diverse places for women or lying down and allowing someone to create word or picture art on certain parts of the body is not the real issue. Even though Leviticus 19:28 warns against tattoos and the wearing of earrings for men seems to be a characteristic adopted from the Egyptians or Ishmaelites who served false gods and who were enemies of the people of God (Exodus 32; Judges 8), I will concede that there are no direct prohibitions on the wearing of earrings for either women or men, but most of the scriptures that do mention earrings no matter what the context has men and women taking them off to either make an idol god or to make holy ornaments for the temple of God (Numbers 31; Judges 8). Nevertheless, what seems to be the universally acceptable norm within our culture amongst all etnicities, both Christian and non-christian and all church denominations is a single piercing per ear for women and no piercings at all for men. The operative term here is universally accepted. Obviously, if you visit a number of churches, a shopping mall or walk downtown or visit any local high school, one will see both men and women wearing earrings and many cases multiple rings in other unique places on the body. But there are still a few ole' skool traditionalist such as the ELDER, that have not bought into the freedom of expression expressed so overtly within today's culture. The purpose of this posting is to share my thoughts on these issues after being prodded by some of you to issue a biblical position on this sensitive and personal subject matter.

Another prudent way a believer can make wise decisions, judge certain matters or to take a position on a particular subject especially in the church, is to receive wise counsel from and mark the examples of the men and women elders within the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul gives clear instructions to both men and especially women on how they must adorn and carry themselves in 1st Timothy 2 and Titus 2. In Titus 2, the older men and women are called to train and exhort the younger ones how to live out their faith pragmatically everyday. Therefore, the upcoming generations should take their cues from the previous or outgoing generation how to practically apply the standards of our faith where scripture sometimes seem to be silent in some specific areas. Ultimately, we have the Holy Spirit to convict and challenge us where our actions may cross the line of Christian expectations. Therefore, if a man or woman wants to know if earrings or multiple earrings or tattoos is right for them or not, if they are in a bible believing church where true worshippers of our Lord are gathered, it would be wise to either seek counsel from the older saints who are indeed a wealth of wisdom and information or simply observe the way they speak, carry and adorn themselves, and then weigh it against the word of God and ones conscience before determining what is appropriate as it relates to outward adornment.

Lastly, all believers should always ask this question; is God being glorified with the way I carry or present myself or is attention being drawn to me as a result of wearing jewelry or eccentric apparel. In my opinion, when men and women are adorned properly, their face and not their bodies will be the focus of attention. When improperly adorned; attention will be drawn to that area of the body where the apparel or jewelry brings attention to. Wearing tight pants can cause eyes to be drawn to one’s rear-end. Wearing tight or low cut tops can cause eyes to be drawn to a woman’s chest. Tight or very low cut shirts may cause eyes to be drawn to a man’s arms or chest. Eccentric colors or hairdos can cause eyes to be drawn to ones hair. Multiple or unique piercings in the body could draw attention to that area of the body that's being accentuated. Listen, I have spoken freely, but I acknowledge the fact that I speak not by commandment from the Lord but from my own experiences and observations. However, because I am an Elder in the church and have the Holy Spirit within, I believe that these thoughts and the meditations of my heart is acceptable to my Lord and that the reader will do well to consider applying these principles to their thought processes, or, adopt the prevailing standards of the world and reap the results from such choices as well. It is every individual's prerogative and choice to decide how to live out their faith on a daily basis. Titus 2:10 propels the believer to adorn themselves with the doctrine of God in all things. The end result should always be for the believer to bring glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ in word or deed which will be evident to others by their behavior and how they adorn themselves.

In closing, I do not believe the issues addressed in this posting are a salvation or heaven/hell issue. The only requirement for an individual to be saved is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. However, as the church of Jesus Christ seeks to live for, love and serve God in a more excellent way, the elders of the church will need to address these and other cultural issues head on to maintain the standards of our Lord in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Choose then if Christ will be honored however you decide to adorn yourself. However, if in doubt, pray and ask for His permission to do whatever may be in your heart to do concerning a specific matter; allow for 3 days of quiet reflection and meditation and then whatever is in your heart to do, do it. But may you do it as unto the Lord and not unto man or yourself.

Feel free to reply to this blog and may all true believers of the Lord Jesus Christ walk in the unity of our faith!

Blessings to you all! SHALOM!

Salvation & Being Filled with the Holy Spirit! Is it two separate experiences or does it happen simultaneously?

Recently, someone asked me a very important and sometimes controversial & misunderstood question. The question was this: "If a person dies after being saved but before they were filled with the Holy Spirit, will they still go to heaven or what will happen to them"?

To answer this question, one must first ask, what does it mean to be saved? This sometimes controversial subject within christian denominational circles is generated by a question Paul asked certain Ephesian disciples in the 19th chapter of Acts and the second verse this question: “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.” Growing up in pentecostalism, the founders & defenders of most holiness movements interpreted that scripture out of context by teaching “second blessings” or teaching converts who had just gotten saved to come back another night to receive the fullness or be filled with the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. I do not make light of or make fun at the methods of the pentecostal saints of old. In fact, with all due respect for them and to the way in which I myself came to believe in Christ, the faith they had and the sincerity they possessed was strong, yet the theology that governed them in many cases were wrong and promoted by church fathers that took scripture out of context.

First, let me preface my response by stating this disclosure. All doctrine and beliefs must find multiple scriptural supports in the Word of God. Having said that, let us first look at the text in question. A classic mistake many saints "back-n-the-day" made as well as make now is to take single verses and somehow lift off the page or out of the setting of the entire chapter, chapters before & after and the Bible as a whole and form ideas, opinions & interpretations of the Holy Spirit’s intentions. A gifted or so called anointed preacher would then expound on the text and make what looks on the surface to make sense and captivate his or her listeners with what appears to be truth after reading scripture that seems to support their message. All one has to do in Acts 19 is read at least the first six verses to get a clearer context of what Paul was saying. The men that were asking the question, “have you received the Holy Ghost (Spirit) since you believed”, had not even been taught about being identified with Christ by receiving Christ’s baptism. Their baptism and faith was rooted in the teachings of John the Baptist who himself taught them that they should believe on the one who would come after him.